The Sight
by Phantomfeather
Summary: My version of The Sight! Spoilers for New Prophecy and PO3 in this story, so read at your own risk! I have chapters 1 through 7 of this story completed, so check back for updates. Sneak peeks included for the sequels that I'm currently starting! UPDATED
1. Prologue: Firestar

**Author's Note!**

MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Sight" – Read at your own risk!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own or write any of the "Warriors" series books – obviously I am not Erin Hunter! ;) Any related material/characters to the Warriors series are owned by Erin Hunter...please don't sue me for using them!

This is an alternate version of "The Sight", first in the "Power of Three" series. In my story (started long before "The Sight" came out), it skips one year (or four seasons) from the end of "The New Prophecy" series. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw's kits are almost warriors, and Graystripe did not return so Brambleclaw is the new deputy. Jaypaw is not blind, and Cinderkit became Leafpool's apprentice. She is now named Cindertail, and is the full medicine cat – Leafpool is with the elders now because of her deafness. Hollypaw is an empathetic young she-cat who is destined for greater things than any other cat in past and present, and Lionpaw is a huge, slightly arrogant, tom who is a forbidding foe in battle but bumbling on the hunt. Jaypaw, however, is one of the best hunters ThunderClan has ever seen – even greater than Spiderleg!

**Prologue**

Firestar touched his nose gently to Sandstorm's. He needed not to murmur any spoken words – everything he would convey to the ginger she-cat was in his touch. She understood immediately. His beautiful mate twined her tail with his, and they slunk to the leader's den together.

Once inside, Firestar turned to her. His eyes held concern, and he unlaced his tail from hers, lashing it restlessly from side to side. "Sandstorm," he murmured, catching her eye and holding it to show how serious he was.

The light orange she-cat's eyes widened slightly in questioning as she sat down and curled her tail neatly around her paws. Firestar mimicked her, but his tail continued to flick in unsettlement.

"I had a dream last night," he finally meowed, after several more heartbeats of strained, tension-filled silence. Sandstorm flicked on ear back, just to be sure there were no cats listening at the entrance behind her. "Yes, and what did this dream…well, what warrior visited you?"

"That's the thing…I was not among the ranks of StarClan in this dream. I…I don't know where I was, or who the cat was that talked to me.

"I'll start at the very beginning, I guess. I woke up and I was in a dark cave…

_Firestar's eyes flew open as a crack of thunder echoed in his ears. Wondering what caused the resounding echo, he looked around in confusion. He realized that he was in a place he had never visited before – a shadowy cave, with condensation dripping slowly down huge spikes hanging down from above. At first it reminded him of the cave behind the waterfall that housed the Tribe of Rushing Water in the mountains, but as lightning flashed outside, he knew that was not where he was. A forest, unlike any other he had ever seen before, was illuminated in that briefest of heartbeats – towering trees, with trunks that all the ThunderClan warriors wouldn't fit around standing head-to-tail. A river flowed by at the mouth of the cave, and Firestar realized that the rushing sound was a branch of it running a few tail-lengths away from him._

_Another rumble of thunder, this time right overhead, made Firestar blink and flick his ears uncomfortably. As a flash of lightning lit up the cave, he jumped to his paws in anxiety. A cat stood before him – not just any cat, but a warrior, with fiery eyes blazing in the darkness, a warrior that seemed to shimmer with every passing heartbeat. The starry cat stood, absolutely without moving, just staring at Firestar with those burning eyes that seemed to look through the leader as if he were made of smoke. Then the cat began to speak._

"Three will come, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws. There will be the lion that roars, the jay that flies, and the holly with roots that nothing can upset."

_Firestar's eyes widened in bewilderment as the warrior shifted in front of him. The cat seemed to change colors every time he rippled his coat, or flexed his muscles. He had gone from pure black to glittering silver in only a few heartbeats. Firestar opened his mouth to speak in astonishment, but before he could say anything the starry warrior had begun to speak again._

"Above all, Firestar, believe in yourself for who you are, not who you seem to be."

_The image of the warrior began to fade as he spoke these last words. Firestar had finally had enough with this cat's mysteriousness, and meowed loudly, "Wait! Don't go. Who are you? Where are we? And what is this prophecy? Why has it come to me?"_

_But the cat simply took a step forward, and, to Firestar's astonishment walked right through him. He spun frantically around, looking desperately for the starry warrior. He turned in several dazed circles, then suddenly felt as if his paws were made of lead. They slipped from under him, and he was lost in the roar of the river and the storm outside the cave. The sounds began to fade, and then he woke up..._


	2. Chapter 1: Hollypaw

**Chapter One**

Hollypaw's golden-striped pelt blended perfectly with the dried-out reeds of leaf-fall. She knew the mouse wouldn't be able to see her, and thankfully was downwind of her so it would be unable to scent her as well. Still, she didn't dare even flick her tail; every kill was important at this time of season. Leaf-bare was near, and ThunderClan needed all the fresh-kill it could get to support its warriors through the long, harsh season.

Suddenly, from a few tail-lengths to her side, a light-footed blur exploded from the rustling rushes and pounced on the mouse, taking its life with one well-aimed bite to its throat. The big tom turned to face her, and through a mouthful of mouse meowed, "How was _that_ for good timing, eh Hollypaw?"

The apprentice glared at the tom grumpily. "That's not fair, Jaypaw, and you know it. _I _was stalking that mouse. You probably didn't even see it until right before you stole it from me."

But the cocky young cat simply turned his tail to her and pranced away, paws hardly touching the ground in a display of agility that seemed perfectly fitting of his body – athletic and lean, with long legs that weren't gangly but yet seemed to fit his body perfectly. His eyes were sky blue, and he always seemed to float when he walked, muscles flexing without effort. The apprentice was no doubt the most talented hunter in ThunderClan, and even Hollypaw, who was his sister, didn't possess that much preciseness when it came to stalking prey. Jaypaw was also a respectable fighter, but though he could hold his own he was no match for Hollypaw and their brother, Lionpaw.

"You do realize that I'm out here on my assessment?" Hollypaw meowed after watching Jaypaw's shenanigans for a while. "After I messed up on the last one, going into ShadowClan's territory and all, I can't afford to make _any_ mistakes. Berryspots could even be watching me right now." She referred to her mentor reverently, as she had been fortunate enough to be assigned one of the most admired warriors in ThunderClan for her teacher.

Jaypaw rolled his eyes in response to his sister's comment. "Yeah, I know. I'm being assessed, too. It's not like I have to _try_, or anything. I'm the best prey-hunter in the Clan as it is. I'll be getting my warrior name-"

"Oh, give it a rest, Jaypaw. We'll all be getting our warrior names soon. It's no secret. We've been apprentices for two moons now, and already we're ready to become warriors."

"Hello, Hollypaw."

Hollypaw opened her mouth to retort cheekily to the voice she assumed was Jaypaw teasing her with some mundane joke, but when she caught his glance his eyes were bewildered and almost embarrassed. He quickly put his mouse down and dipped his head respectfully at the handsome brown tabby emerging from the reeds directly behind Hollypaw. The apprentice whirled around to come face to face with none other than Brambleclaw, the ThunderClan deputy and her, Jaypaw, and their brother Lionpaw's father. She immediately dipped her head as Jaypaw had done, then meowed, "What are you doing out here?"

Brambleclaw stepped into the clearing by the lakeshore as he explained, "Just helping Berryspots and Mousepelt out with your assessments. We're short on warriors to do hunting patrols, so Firestar himself went out with the mid-day hunting group. I didn't have anything else to do, and I figured Mousepelt would appreciate the help."

"And what about Berryspots?" Hollypaw inquired.

"He refused to have me help him," Brambleclaw meowed, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice as the conversation turned to his first apprentice. "He's just excited to have an apprentice. He takes it very seriously, you know. I know the feeling – I didn't get an apprentice until Berryspots, and I was a warrior for four seasons when he was apprenticed."

Hollypaw sighed. "Where is he now, then?"

"I sent him back to the camp. Or rather, I _ordered_ him back to the camp. He's been on two straight patrols, plus training with you yesterday and this assessment today. Even I don't do that much. He only got a tiny bit of sleep last night, because he was on the evening and dawn patrols."

"Is he sleeping now?" Jaypaw chimed in. Brambleclaw nodded. Jaypaw flashed a relieved glance at Hollypaw to signal that he thought Brambleclaw hadn't heard their cockiness about their warrior ceremonies.

Then the deputy spoke again. "I've been talking to your mentors, and Lionpaw's. We all think you're ready to become warriors. We all talked to Firestar this morning before he went on patrol, and he says that if you perform your assessments well, then he will personally assess your fighting skills. When you pass those assessments, you will become warriors. The ceremony is set for tomorrow, and your assessments will take place shortly before sunset today. I have already informed Lionpaw as well, as he is on patrol with Firestar's group."

Hollypaw's eyes had been steadily widening as Brambleclaw spoke, but now she rushed forward and rubbed herself against her father, purring loudly. "Really?" was all she could get out in her excitement. Suddenly she felt a jolt ripple through her muscles – she staggered back and glanced furtively at Jaypaw. The other apprentice was standing proudly, his muscles bursting like his pride. Hollypaw was gripped by an overwhelming feeling of excitement, and suddenly a bloodlust to prove herself. She flexed her claws involuntarily, but then the feeling was gone as if it has been washed away by an invisible tide of water.

Jaypaw lowered his head and stepped over to Brambleclaw. "Where is the assessment to take place?" he meowed simply. Hollypaw was still trembling behind him – he had shouldered past her to stand in front of Brambleclaw.

"The grassy knoll above the ThunderClan camp," Brambleclaw replied to his son, beckoning with his tail in the direction of the hollow where the Clan made its home.

Jaypaw nodded curtly and turned away. Hollypaw straightened and looked after her brother, wondering what had caused the sudden change in his demeanor.

_Is it the combat test? I didn't think he was that ambitious. I thought he got the best of both of our parents – obviously he inherited his father's ambition as well. Oh well – you still love him, Hollypaw. Just remember that he's your brother and you will always love him, even if you see a side of him you don't like so much_

_THE SIGHT_


	3. Chapter 2: Lionpaw

**Chapter Two**

Lionpaw glared at the long-legged black tom, his green eyes almost on fire with suppressed rage.

"I almost had that mouse, Spiderleg. If you hadn't burst in on me with all of those instructions, I would have had it. Do you want me to become a warrior or not?"

The apprentice knew that he was telling off his own mentor in front of his Clan leader, Firestar, but he didn't care. Nothing, absolutely _nothing_, would come in between him and his warrior status. The young tom was the most gifted fighter in ThunderClan, but his hunting skills were sorely lacking and his mentor, Spiderleg, knew that.

"I was only trying to _help_ you become a warrior. You've ruined your own chances at being a hunter – I was giving you advice in the area that you were lacking in. It was a big mistake, too. You were stalking that mouse _down_wind instead of _up_-"

"Let me stop you right there, Spiderleg." Firestar stepped in forcefully. "He'll be getting his warrior name with his siblings, and they are supposed to have their ceremony tomorrow. The fighting assessment is tonight, so relax. You've done a wonderful job with him thus far, and I have absolutely no concerns about him as a warrior." Lionpaw opened his mouth to make a cheeky remark to Spiderleg as Firestar paused, but the diplomatic tom interrupted him firmly. "Now it's your turn. You will not cheek off to your mentor that way, and if I catch you talking that way to any other cat once you are a warrior, you will be back in the apprentices' den so fast you can't even say 'punishment'. Is that clear?"

Lionpaw nodded meekly, slinking to the back of the group and staying as inconspicuous as possible while the two older toms struck up a conversation about the changing season and how that would affect ThunderClan's food supply.

After several unsuccessful stalks and a frustrated pounce on a squirrel that proved surprisingly flourishing for Lionpaw, Firestar called it quits. He had caught a vole and a sparrow, and Spiderleg had snagged several mice. The three toms carried their catches back to the ThunderClan camp, and as they entered Lionpaw's heart leapt. A pretty white she-cat was delicately picking her way toward the fresh-kill pile, and as Lionpaw's eyes fell on her she flashed a brief glance toward him. The apprentice looked away shyly, gulping and turning toward the elders' den.

"Mind if I take this to the elders?" he meowed, dropping the squirrel and nodding to it as Spiderleg glanced at him out of the corners of narrowed eyes. The warrior nodded once and padded dutifully toward the fresh-kill pile himself. He nodded at the white she-cat, greeting her politely. "How's it going, Snowpaw?"

The pretty daughter of Cloudtail and Daisy shrugged. "I can't complain," she mewed in a much tougher voice than her dainty exterior suggested. "It's hard to get used to apprentice life, but you know, I like it despite all the hard work. The combat part is way too much fun, but I could do without the hunting."

Spiderleg nodded in understanding. "Go talk to Lionpaw over there," he meowed. "He feels your pain all the way. He's an awesome fighter, but his hunting skills leave quite a bit to be desired."

"Oh, it's not that she's a bad hunter," Firestar argued, coming up behind Spiderleg, "She just doesn't like it all that much." Snowpaw looked down in shyness at the unbidden compliment from her Clan leader. "Be in the camp at sunhigh tomorrow, all right?" Firestar told the apprentice, changing the subject abruptly. "Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw will be getting their warrior names if their combat assessment goes well tonight."

Snowpaw nodded, glad for the change of subject. But then she glanced up and Firestar. "Oh," she meowed, almost disappointed. "Lionpaw, too?"

"Indeed."

"He'll be leaving the apprentices' den?"

"Indeed."

"Oh," she murmured again, more quietly. Then she turned and padded away from the fresh-kill pile without taking anything, her eyes downcast and her tail-tip dragging in the dust.

Spiderleg twitched his ear at Firestar. "What do you think that was all about?" he inquired. The Clan leader tried to keep the amusement out of his voice as he replied, "I think there's a crush building in the ThunderClan apprentices' den."

Suddenly Lionpaw came trotting over from the elders' den. "It's almost sunset," he reminded Firestar. "And it looks like Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Brambleclaw just got back from their hunting assessment." The golden tabby apprentice tossed his head sharply toward the camp entrance, where three powerful cats were emerging, all with prey in their mouths and the same purposeful stride.

Lionpaw bounded forward, glad to see his siblings and father. He dipped his head respectfully at Brambleclaw, who was also his Clan deputy, then meowed to his brother and sister, "Ready to do some fighting?"

Hollyhock nodded enthusiastically, but Jaypaw just shrugged halfheartedly. "I'll probably get tackled in the first go," he grumbled so that Brambleclaw couldn't hear him. Lionpaw growled and raked his paw over his brother's ear, with claws sheathed, of course. "Forget about it. If they pit us against each other, I'll keep my claws sheathed like I just did. What are brothers for, after all?"

Suddenly the three apprentices looked up at a brisk call from Brambleclaw. "Let's go!"

Firestar stood with his deputy, patiently waiting for the apprentices. Lionpaw bounded forward, with Hollyhock and Jaypaw following, each matching the other stride-for-stride. As they reached the two toms, three more cats joined them. Lionpaw drank in the familiar scent of his mentor, Hazelheart, and his siblings' mentors, Berryspots and Mousepelt. Like their apprentices, all three mentors were siblings, offspring of Daisy the horseplace cat and her former mate, Smoke, who still resided in the horseplace.

Lionpaw dipped his head to the three older cats, then stepped into stride side-by-side with Hazelheart. "Ready for your combat test?" she meowed teasingly. Both cats knew it was practically a joke for Lionpaw – he wasn't small compared to his siblings, but at the same time he wasn't a cat of extraordinary brawn, and he had the brain for fighting. According to Hazelheart, that's what counted. He had never lost a match, whether in training or border scuffle with another Clan.

The caravan of cats passed the apprentices' den as they made their way through camp, and Lionpaw couldn't help himself but glance furtively over at Snowpaw, who lay outside the entrance, sharing tongues with the only other apprentice, Firestar and Sandstorm's last kit, a very young tom named Sparkpaw. Firestar had only named him as an apprentice because he needed Sandstorm to mentor Snowpaw and she couldn't accept an apprentice while she was still in the nursery. Technically, Sparkpaw was apprentice age now, but he had been apprenticed half a moon ago when he was still only five-and-a-half moons old.

Lionpaw suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy flash through him, and he paused for a moment, his eyes fixed on Snowpaw sharing tongues with the other cat, chatting animatedly to him as she groomed his ear affectionately. Hazelheart broke stride as well, and took a step backwards to stand beside her apprentice. "Anything wrong?" she meowed gently, following Lionpaw's burning green gaze. "Oh," she breathed, understanding immediately. Lionpaw's affection toward the other apprentice was no secret around the Clan, and he had even confided in his mentor on occasion. But now he broke his fixed stare away from Snowpaw and shouldered past Hazelheart, trotting several strides to keep up with the rest of the group. As he did, he felt his muscles flexing, getting ready for the fight. For a split second, a vision flashed across his eyes: his own claws, raking through the flesh of his opponent, killing. Blood…Death...Must kill.

He blinked, and the feeling was gone. But as he padded into the training hollow located just off the main camp valley, he could still feel his claws tearing open feline flesh.

_THESIGHT_


	4. Chapter 3: Jaypaw

**Chapter Three**

Jaypaw knew as soon as he stepped up to face Mousepelt that he would be able to do this. All of the things he had learned about fighting came flooding back to him, and he took a deep breath to clear his head of all other thoughts. He shook a front paw out to limber up his muscles, then stretched the other. He repeated the exercise with his hind paws just like Mousepelt had taught him, then squared up. He nodded to his mentor as he had been instructed to do, then closed his eyes, envisioning the perfect spot to attack.

Before his eyes had even opened, his paws were in motion. He felt as if he had bird wings as he sprang at his mentor, targeting her shoulders with his eyes but sliding down to her legs in a fraction of a heartbeat. The collision threw his mentor off her paws, and he heard a sigh as the wind was knocked out of her. Without even hesitating, he was on her shoulders, pinning her down with his paws. He concentrated deeply, forcing himself to keep his claws sheathed. He held her down for a heartbeat longer, then relinquished the pressure on her shoulders and neck.

Firestar nodded approvingly, stepping forward. "Good job, Jaypaw. I knew you could do it." Jaypaw felt pride swell up in his chest as he took his spot next to Lionpaw, his heart still racing with exhilaration. "You know, that's really the first time I've ever concentrated on fighting, and it wasn't that difficult. I just imagined I was hunting, chasing a fat mouse, and my paws felt like they had wings on them. I felt like I could do anything!"

"Now you know how I feel every time I fight," Lionpaw commented, then flicked his tail. "I think I'm next," he added as Spiderleg beckoned him forward. "Yep, I'm next," the golden apprentice confirmed as Spiderleg hollered, "Come on, Lionpaw!" He strode confidently forward, the spitting image of his father except for his golden tabby coat. He sported the same broad, muscular shoulders, wide-set ears and legs, massive paws that sheathed deadly claws, and burning emerald eyes that shone with a passion for whatever he was doing.

Jaypaw watched keenly, practicing his hunting sight through the gathering gloom in the small side-valley. Lionpaw stood proudly, his bulging muscles flexing at any tiny movement he made. Before Jaypaw even knew what had happened, Lionpaw had barreled forward, covering the distance between him and his mentor in two loping strides. He hit Spiderleg and sent the warrior tumbling head-over-tail. He lay for a heartbeat, motionless, and just as Jaypaw started to get concerned, he sprang to his paws and countered Lionpaw's attack with ease. But the seasoned warrior, with all of his skill, lacked in brawn compared to his apprentice. The younger tom batted his mentor aside and sprang effortlessly onto his back. Spiderleg desperately tried a classic fighting move: he fell to his side and attempted to roll on the younger cat. But Lionpaw kicked him off with a powerful thrust of his hind paws. Once again, he somersaulted, but this time he really didn't rise. Firestar started to bound toward his motionless figure, but he struggled to his paws and limped up the small valley until he had reached the group. Lionpaw already stood proudly at the front of the assembly, his chest puffed out and his eyes glinting with a final flash from the last ray of the setting sun.

"Very good, Lionpaw."

Firestar's voice broke the awestruck silence that had fallen over the cats, and they all jumped slightly. "Spiderleg, you should be proud of what you have taught this apprentice," he meowed to the sleek black warrior as he sat down heavily next to Lionpaw. "I am proud of him," he replied, glancing at the golden apprentice out of the corner of his eye. "More than words could say." Lionpaw looked down at his paws, and Jaypaw blinked, wondering if the cocky young apprentice was feeling _guilty_ for something. It wouldn't be the first time…He spoke harshly to his mentor frequently, but then always seemed to feel a tinge of remorse when the lean tom talked about him so proudly.

Jaypaw was lost for words, and as he exchanged astonished gazes with Hollypaw, he knew she was, too. Neither of them would dare put their mentors in danger like that, but it had been a display neither of them would forget in a hurry. It was obvious that Lionpaw was the exceptional defender ThunderClan desperately needed. They had many warriors and apprentices, but no outstanding cat had emerged from the shuffle as a brave protector like Lionpaw.

Jaypaw blinked, emerging from his thoughts as Hollyhock stepped daintily forward as Berryspots beckoned her for her final combat assessment. She faced up to her mentor and nodded calmly. Jaypaw saw her take a deep breath as he had done, then she leaped boldly forward and, using the same tactic Jaypaw had exercised, slipped nimbly down and knocked Berryspots' paws out from under him. He was up in a flash, but she tackled him with ease and he finally conceded.

Firestar nodded approvingly at Hollypaw as the apprentice and her mentor trotted back to the group. "I am pleased to report that all three of you have officially passed your combat assessments," he informed the apprentices and mentors. "You should all be proud of yourselves, apprentices because you are truly skilled at hunting and fighting alike and have shown that over and over throughout your training, and mentors because you and you alone have groomed these young, impressionable cats into fine warriors that will in time be as revered and honored as yourselves."

All six cats stood in silence as Firestar concluded his speech. Jaypaw shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could just go back to his den and go to sleep. Finally Brambleclaw spoke. "Back to camp?" he suggested, his deep voice rumbling in contrast to Firestar's relatively light meow. "After all, the mighty warriors must rest up before the naming ceremony. And they need to enjoy their last night in the apprentices' den," he added, looking pointedly at Lionpaw with his last words.

Jaypaw narrowed his eyes. He knew Lionpaw would miss Snowpaw terribly, but he also thought that Snowpaw liked Sparkpaw. _So much drama_, he thought briefly. Then he turned and followed the rest of the cats back up out of the valley and into the main camp.

_THESIGHT_


	5. Chapter 4: Hollypaw

**Chapter Four**

Hollypaw felt a twinge of excitement rush through her as she stepped out of the shadowy side valley and into the main ThunderClan camp. She was to become a warrior! Firestar's words still echoed in her ears: _"Hollypaw, you will be a great warrior because of your empathy and desire to prove yourself combined. Together those two ingredients make an unbeatable opponent in battle."_ The she-cat was pretty sure Lionpaw and Jaypaw hadn't heard the ThunderClan leader, because she had a suspicion they would be insanely jealous if they had noticed Firestar praising her so highly above her brothers.

"Coming, Hollypaw?"

Hollypaw came swimming up to the surface of her thoughts, snapping back to the present with a jolt as Berryspots stepped in beside her. The handsome leopard-spotted tom with an unusually short tail gave his apprentice a pride-filled gaze.

"Congratulations, young one. I am proud of you beyond belief. You will be a warrior ThunderClan will remember for many seasons to come."

"Thank you," Hollypaw mewed humbly as they approached the fresh-kill pile together. Hollypaw bid her mentor a quick thanks for her assessment, then moved away from the tom to join her brothers. Lionpaw was chatting animatedly to Jaypaw, who still looked starstruck by his brother's performance in the combat assessment. "I wasn't too sure about leaping on her back like that, 'cause I knew she'd roll but I was totally prepared for it…"

Hollypaw sighed. Sometimes her brother got too cocky for his own good. The young she-cat hoped she would never be _that _sure of herself – she wasn't unsure of herself, but didn't go around talking about how great she was either.

As Hollypaw approached her brothers, Jaypaw turned to face her. She pricked her ears forward as the young tabby tom meowed conversationally, "Hi Hollypaw. Fresh-kill?" He picked up a squirrel and offered it to his sister. Hollypaw took it from him, shooting her brother a grateful glance that he returned. _He must be tired of listening to Lionpaw's cockiness,_ she thought. _I don't blame him._

"Hey, Lionpaw," she meowed suddenly, hating herself for what she was about to say. "How about you stop talking about how freaking great you are, and listen to Jaypaw for a bit. Maybe _he_ has something to say about _his_ equally good combat assessment." _Pride goeth before the fall_. The thought zipped through Hollypaw's head as a hurt look flickered through Lionpaw's eyes. "O-okay, sure," he stammered. "But I gotta go get…um…something to eat."

He stumbled away, grabbing a mouse and heading toward the apprentices' den for the last time. Hollypaw took a step forward, to Jaypaw's side, and the brother and sister watched their sibling walk slowly into the den.

"So," Hollypaw began, starting to turn toward Jaypaw. Her eye still followed Lionpaw, and as he paused at the entrance to the apprentices' den, he shot a venomous look at Snowpaw and Sparkpaw, who were casually splitting a large rabbit. Hollypaw gasped – she felt a stab of jealousy, anger, and deep, piercing sadness hit her like a spring flood. She dipped her head and flattened her ears, then shook herself vigorously. She hardly realized what she was doing, she was so overcome with emotion.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the waves of sorrow and fury faded. Hollypaw glanced around, dazed. She felt slightly dizzy for a split second, then Jaypaw sprang in front of her and supported her from collapsing. "Hollypaw!" he yelped as she swayed on her paws, then steadied herself.

"I'm okay," she mumbled, glancing furtively at the apprentices' den, where Lionpaw had slipped in right at the moment she had experienced all those strange feelings. Jaypaw blinked in confusion, staring at her. "What happened?" he meowed.

Hollypaw turned and looked him in the eye, her green gaze betraying her own puzzlement. "I'm not sure, but…did any cat notice?"

Jaypaw scanned the camp, and to Hollypaw's relief, all of the other cats seemed oblivious to her strange behavior. "Good," she mewed. She nodded gratefully at her brother, then picked up her squirrel. "Want to eat with me, bro?" Jaypaw nodded, then meowed, "You're sure you're okay…?"

"I'm totally fine," Hollypaw assured him once more. "Honest." Jaypaw shot her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her – but it was really true! _ I'm _fine she thought angrily, but kept her tongue behind her teeth.

"Maybe it was your guilty conscience, for snapping at Lionpaw like that," Jaypaw suggested through a mouthful of mouse as he selected his own piece of fresh-kill. "I doubt that," Hollypaw grumbled. "I just couldn't stand to hear him going on and on about how awesome his test was. Yours was great, too." Jaypaw's eyes glowed appreciation for his sister as he meowed, "It was amazing how you totally picked up on the fact that I was getting sick of it, too." Hollypaw shrugged, and was about to brush it off casually when Firestar came trotting up to them, his orange pelt rippling smoothly over rock-solid muscles. Hollypaw paused a moment, admiring her leader. It was easy to see why he garnered so much respect from not only his own Clan but the other three as well. The flame-colored tom came to a halt in front of the apprentices, his green eyes bright in the twilight that had settled over the camp.

"You two – warrior ceremonies tomorrow at sunhigh. You will sit vigil at sundown. Tell Lionpaw, please." Hollypaw nodded in acknowledgement. "Also," Firestar continued, "Please take fresh-kill to the elders. It's your last apprentice task…"

Hollypaw nodded again, while Jaypaw meowed "Sure thing." The brother and sister laid down their meals and selected some fresh-kill to take to the elders. Together, they set off across the camp, tails held high in pride at the prospect of the coming ceremony that would change their lives forever.

_**THESIGHT**_

Hollypaw awoke with a start. She looked around for a moment, wondering what had made her rise so suddenly, then identified the source – a _very_ annoying prodding in her rib.

"Gerroffmeejaypaw," she grumbled, rolling over to stare straight into the playful green eyes of her brother. "Nope," he meowed, tickling her ear with his tail-tip. "Get up, get up, get up," he chanted in her ear. "Arrrggghhh, I'm _up_, Jaypaw," Hollypaw roared, leaping to her paws and tackling her brother, taking him by surprise. She pinned him easily, claws sheathed, then released him. Jaypaw scrambled indignantly to his paws, glaring at her. "You're sure cheerful this morning," Hollypaw observed. "More than usual."

Jaypaw rolled his eyes. "That's because today we become _WARRIORS_! Finally!"

"All right, all right, we get the point. You're getting your warrior name. _Big deal_. We all get our warrior names at some point."

This time, the voice came from not Hollypaw or Jaypaw, but Snowpaw. The fluffy white she-cat was glaring at the older apprentices from her nest, her whiskers crinkled from her head resting on them. "Hey," Hollypaw snapped, "Straighten your whiskers and we _might_ take you seriously." Snowpaw sighed rudely and pointedly, then grumbled once more, "Big deal." She laid her head back down and closed her eyes.

"Conversation over, I guess?" Hollypaw turned to Jaypaw. "I guess she woke up on the wrong side of the den this morning."

"Where's Lionpaw?" Hollypaw suddenly inquired, scanning the den for her brother. His nest was empty, and when she walked over to it, it was cold. "He went out a while ago," she commented. "Yeah, he went on the dawn patrol. He wanted a little more hunting practice before his ceremony."

_He takes this way too seriously,_ Hollypaw thought. _He is a great fighter, and will probably go down in Clan history as it is…he needs to stop trying to be perfect at everything_. "Whatever," was all she said to Jaypaw. "What time is it now?"

"Almost sunhigh. You slept in today."

"Oh. Darn it."

"It's okay. I slept in, too. I woke up not very long before you. Firestar said it was fine that you slept late – it's a big day, and we didn't need to go on any patrols, or anything. Lionpaw insisted, of course, on going out with the dawn patrol."

Hollypaw sighed. "Are they back yet?" Her brother nodded. "Got back right after I woke up. Firestar's getting ready for the ceremony right now."

Just then, Lionpaw trotted into the den. Hollypaw's head snapped around as the tom meowed, "The ceremony is starting!"

"Hurry," Jaypaw mewed, leaping through the exit after Lionpaw. Hollypaw picked her way across the den and went to the break in the closely woven brambles, but she hesitated. She turned and swept her gaze over the den – of the familiar nest that had been hers for over three moons, of Snowpaw sleeping contentedly at the back of the den, and all the smells that were home to her. _Goodbye_, she thought, willing her love toward all the apprentices to live here in the future. Then she turned back to the clearing, and to her own future.

_I wonder what comes next. I'm so scared, and so excited, all at once. The only thing I have right now is looking forward to whatever is about to happen. Will I be a great warrior, or just fade into the background like so many before me? What is being a warrior like? Will I have fun, or will I blow it? So many questions to be answered, and who to answer them for me?_

_THESIGHT_


	6. Chapter 5: Lionpaw

**Chapter Five**

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan…"

Lionpaw shifted from paw to paw, his heart thumping so loudly he could hardly hear Firestar speaking to immortal words that would change his life permanently. He looked up at the leader, his shadow silhouetted against the red stone wall behind him as he stood nobly on the Highledge.

_Someday,_ Lionpaw thought, _Someday, I will stand up there, addressing ThunderClan just like that._

"Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Hollypaw and Jaypaw chorused in unison. "I do," Lionpaw echoed, his mew firm and true where his siblings' had wavered slightly, overly reverent.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names."

Firestar leaped from the Highledge and stood before the three cats. "Hollypaw, from this moment you will be known as Hollyhock. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Hollyhock stepped forward, her eyes radiating the awe she felt for her leader. She bent and licked Firestar's gleaming golden shoulder, and he rested his muzzle on the top of her head for a heartbeat. Then she stepped back, and the flame-colored tom continued.

"Jaypaw, from this moment you shall be known as Jayfeather. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Just as Hollyhock had done, Jaypaw licked his leader's shoulder, then followed his sister over to the crowd of warriors. There was a soft murmur as the cats in front congratulated the two newest warriors, then at a signal from Firestar, they fell silent once more.

Lionpaw felt his chest constrict as Firestar turned his green eyes to him. He could sense the many pairs of eyes burning into his pelt, though his gaze never wavered from Firestar. "Lionpaw," Firestar began carefully. "From this moment you shall be known as Lionclaw. StarClan honors your bravery…"

Lionclaw didn't listen to the rest of the words. He was reveling in the glory of his warrior name. Firestar had given him the same name as his father, Brambleclaw! And Brambleclaw's father, Tigerclaw, before he became ShadowClan leader.

The new warrior, barely clinging to his composure, padded evenly up to his leader and touched his shoulder, gently brushing it with the tip of his tongue. He felt Firestar's muzzle in between his ears, then after a split heartbeat, pulled back and joined Hollyhock and Jayfeather with the rest of the warriors.

The three cats stood proudly in front of the Clan as they chanted, "Hollyhock! Jayfeather! Lionclaw!"

Suddenly they fell silent as Firestar flicked his tail. The leader clearly had more to say.

"In addition to welcoming our three newest warriors, I would like to name some apprentices. As it turns out, Whiteflower's kits are six moons old today. We need some new apprentices in that den, so they will receive names and mentors now."

Lionclaw felt a hint of annoyance at this news. _Warriors should have their own day,_ he thought. _They shouldn't have to share it with apprentices._

He glanced to his side, looking for agreement from Hollyhock or Jayfeather, but it was clear the other two cats didn't feel the same way as him. They watched the kits walk forward with love shining in their eyes, not jealousy. Jayfeather leaned over Hollyhock to whisper, "Isn't it wonderful to watch these cats go from merely kits to apprentices, accepting higher responsibility and all?"

Hollyhock nodded fervently, but Lionpaw shrugged. "I guess," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Oh, quiet," his sister mewed. "He's starting!"

"I come before StarClan today to name four new apprentices." Firestar beckoned the first of the kits, a timid looking black she-cat, forward. "From this day forward, until she has earned her new warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Shadowpaw. Her mentor shall be Molewhisker."

Lionclaw nodded approvingly as Molewhisker, a strapping young warrior who had yet to have an apprentice, bounded eagerly forward from the gaggle of younger warrior toms that lingered near the back of the warriors. He had to admit that Molewhisker deserved this – he was a good warrior, and a nice cat in general.

Shadowpaw touched noses shyly with her new mentor, then began to follow him back to the warriors. Lionclaw couldn't hear what he said, but the kind brown warrior shook his head and flicked his tail toward where Snowpaw and Sparkpaw, the only two apprentices, stood a few tail-lengths in front of their den. Shadowpaw slunk over to them and stood a little ways apart from the older cats, waiting for one of her siblings to join her.

Firestar went through the next couple quickly, naming a young tom Robinpaw and assigning his mentor to be Honeypelt, Molewhisker's sister. Then there was Summerpaw, another she-cat with a glossy brown tabby coat. She had a white belly and throat, and white paws. Her mentor was Poppyheart, a sister to Honeypelt and Molewhisker.

The last kit was an unusual color, Lionclaw noted, as she stepped forward. His brow furrowed in puzzlement as he gazed at the dark gray she-cat with silver stripes that went side-to-side across her back. Her eyes were ice blue, and her nose was black. "Who was their father?" he asked Hollypaw, nudging her. He looked over at his sister, who was apparently as astounded by the unusual pattern as he was. "I don't know," she confessed, "But I do know Whiteflower was their mother, like she was Snowpaw's mother."

Lionclaw blinked at the mention of Snowpaw. He had hardly thought about the pretty white apprentice since last night, when he had seen her eating with Sparkpaw and sharing tongues with him. Bitterness filled him as he remembered what she had said to him. It seemed like so long ago...

He came abruptly to the surface of his thoughts as a handsome golden-brown tom shouldered past him, out of the crowd of warriors. Thornclaw, a reliable senior warrior, had obviously been chosen to mentor this beautiful new apprentice. Lionclaw watched as the two cats touched noses, and felt a twinge of…no, it couldn't be _jealousy_ throbbing through his body. Why would he be jealous of Thornclaw? He couldn't even hope to be a mentor _yet_…he had become a warrior only today!

"What's her name?" he asked Hollyhock in an effort to distract himself from his thoughts. "Silverpaw," his sister replied. "Appropriate, don't you think?" Lionclaw gave a snort of tense laughter. "Yeah." Hollyhock cast him an odd look, and meowed, "Anything wrong?"

Lionclaw shook his head vigorously. "Nope. Nothing at all." He cast a look over at Snowpaw, who stood close to Sparkpaw. The young tom's orange coat shone just like his father's, reminding Lionclaw of a flame, soft and warm but uncontrollable and strong-willed.

But before anger overwhelmed him, Firestar strode over, his green eyes shining. "I'm very proud of all three of you," he meowed purposefully, "And, just as I have watched you go from tiny kits to brave fighters, I will watch you go from young warriors to seasoned veterans that no cat challenges. I have faith in all of you, and so does your father. We hope you will not fail us." Lionclaw looked down briefly in modesty, then snuck a glance at Firestar's face. In the leader's eyes burned a spark, not dangerous but proud. Lionclaw reminded himself that Firestar was their mother Squirrelflight's father, and the ThunderClan leader had a feeling for himself and his brother and sister that went beyond a leader and warrior's typical relationship. Hollyhock thanked Firestar, and Jayfeather assured the leader that they would not let him down. Lionclaw was silent for a moment, but he felt three intense stares on him and looked up to find his siblings and Firestar gazing expectantly at him. "Um…Thanks?" he offered. Beside him, Hollyhock sighed and muttered, "Not great, bro."

But Firestar simply twitched his whiskers mildly. "I must go congratulate Shadowpaw, Robinpaw, Summerpaw, and Silverpaw on their apprenticeships." Lionclaw dipped his head respectfully in an attempt to redeem himself, but the leader walked away with a flick of his tail.

"Okay, I admit it," Lionclaw gulped when Firestar was out of earshot. "Not the greatest I could do-"

"Oh, come on," Hollyhock interrupted. "I mean, it's not like you're not used to being praised like that. The whole Clan is practically worshipping you as it is." She stared directly at Lionclaw, but he cast his gaze down to the dirt beneath his paws.

"You know what, Hollyhock, give it a _rest_, already. I'm just going to forget about it and move on."

"You showed our leader so much disrespect, though," Jayfeather put in mildly. "Quite gusty for such a young warrior," he added.

But then, before Lionclaw could retort, a pretty orange she-cat came trotting lightly up to them. "Warriors, huh?" she meowed. "I have no words to describe how proud I am of you, my kits."

"Hi, mother," Hollyhock meowed. Lionclaw and Jayfeather echoed her, and the orange she-cat, Squirrelflight, stepped forward. She touched her nose to each of her kits' muzzles, mewing words of congratulations. When she got to Lionclaw, she murmured "I know your destiny is as great as your father's. You will be worthy of remembrance for many seasons, I am sure. I love you, my little Lionkit."

Suddenly a feeling of foreboding gripped Lionclaw – he raised his head and opened his mouth to sniff the wind pouring into the valley camp, and promptly yowled in alarm. At the same time, a huge white tom with black paws appeared at the top of the cliff.

"ShadowClan!" Lionclaw roared.

_THESGHT_

**_Ohhh cliffhanger...updates soon, I promise! And in the next chappy there will be some info about what will happen after this story is complete...Check back soon, and PLEASE review!_**


	7. Chapter 6: Jayfeather

**A/N: Looong chappy! Also, I wrote up some titles for the rest of the series, because I'm planning on writing them all! Here you go...**

**Book 1: The Sight  
****Book 2: The Dream  
****Book 3: The Outcast  
****Book 4: The Hero  
****Book 5: The Secret  
****Book 6: The One/The Promise (haven't quite decided on the storyline for this one...but it'll be good, I promise!)**

**Chapter Six**

Jayfeather's blood ran cold as he stared up at the cliff where the massive white ShadowClan leader, Blackstar, stood silhouetted against the rising sun.

Firestar immediately bounded forward, assuming a defensive stance in front of his Clan. "What say you, Blackstar?" he yowled up to the white tom. "Why are you here? ThunderClan has not threatened you in moons. Tell me _now_." The leader's voice was firm and confident but not belligerent, Jayfeather noted with awe.

"We have come not because you have threatened us but because we are starving in our territory. We need to expand to survive. A kit died at its mother's belly last night."

In spite of himself, Jayfeather felt a shiver of sorrow run up his spine. A kit had _died_? He knew leaf-fall was almost over, that prey was scarce, and that when the first snow came there would be hardly any prey at all, but that still gave ShadowClan no right to come and invade ThunderClan, asking if they could use their territory for hunting. Didn't they realize that prey was as scarce for the ThunderClan cats as it was for themselves?

Firestar frowned. Jayfeather heard the worry in his voice as he began to speak, but his words betrayed none of his feelings. "It is not ThunderClan's responsibility to support ShadowClan," Firestar meowed. "We are having our own share of prey scarcity this leaf-fall. The reason we have separate territories is so that we have equal hunting grounds that can support our own Clans."

Blackstar was clearly angered at this news. His eyes darkened as Firestar concluded, "We are very sympathetic to your circumstances, but there is nothing we can do."

"Then so be it."

Jayfeather's fur stood on end as Blackstar meowed those four words. _No…_he thought, instinctively tensing for a fight. Beside him, Lionclaw and Hollyhock were unsheathing their claws and limbering up, preparing for their first battle as warriors. Firestar flicked his tail, and all the other warriors sprang into a formation behind him, assuming defensive stances. Jayfeather cast a sideways glance at Hollyhock and Lionclaw, but saw that his brother had sprung into a fighting position, ready to spring if ShadowClan attacked. Hollyhock shrugged at Jayfeather, and he saw his sister echo Lionclaw's crouch.

Blackstar flicked his tail smoothly, and in less than a heartbeat Jayfeather sensed a whole Clan-ful of warriors charging into the hollow. They flowed into the camp and broke like a ferocious wave upon the ThunderClan warriors. Jayfeather was thrown aside as Berryspot knocked into him, but his sister's former mentor sprang up and with an apologetic nod sprang away.

A few tail-lengths away, Jayfeather saw Lionclaw tussling with a muscular dark gray tom he knew as one of ShadowClan's senior warriors, Cedarheart. Behind Lionclaw, Firestar wrestled mightily with Blackstar as each leader tried to rip a life from the other. Hollyhock and Hazelheart, Berryspot's sister, fought valiantly side-by-side with the ShadowClan deputy, Rowanclaw, and Tallpoppy and Shadowfur, two warriors. Jayfeather slipped through the throngs of cats, until he saw Cindertail, the medicine cat, defending her den against two burly warriors. His brow furrowed in puzzlement – usually the attackers wouldn't go for the medicine cat's den. Then he saw why – four anxious, round faces peered out from behind the brave gray she-cat. _The new apprentices_, Jayfeather realized. Shadowpaw, Robinpaw, Summerpaw, and Silverpaw gazed fearfully out at the battle, and Jayfeather's heart panged with worry. He was about to plunge into the fray, running to Cindertail's aid, but just then a black streak plowed into him, pinning him on his side like a stone. The massive black tom swiped at Jayfeather's side over and over, with the tabby warrior helpless under his relentless claws.

_StarClan's mercy, this cat is bigger than Lionclaw..._Jayfeather closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain from his bleeding side. With a tremendous effort, he flung himself upward, throwing the black tom off him. He yowled with the enormity of his effort, then collapsed back to the ground with a dull thud.

He stumbled to his paws once more, staring around dazedly, and saw Cindertail still grappling with the bulky ShadowClan toms. Jayfeather climbed through the scramble of hissing, fighting cats, and this time made it to Cindertail's side. He could see that the pretty medicine cat was tiring – sweat and blood matted her normally silky ash-colored coat, and her movements were labored, as if she was trying to move underwater.

"Jayfeather…" she gasped, trying to hold off the biggest of the warriors, a dark tabby tom. "Get her." She flicked her ear toward the fawn-colored tabby with deep, angry green eyes, and Jayfeather felt an involuntary shiver run up and down his spine. Something was familiar about those eyes...

But he had no time to think. In a second, the she-cat was on him, looking squarely into his own eyes but leaping onto his shoulders. With a yelp of pain as her claws sank into his already beaten body, Jayfeather threw himself to the ground, rolling over on top of her. He sprang up and pounced before she could get over the stun of the impact, but when he looked down at her her gaze softened. "I see your father in you," she murmured gently. Jayfeather automatically felt his claws retract, and he slid off her. The fawn warrior rose elegantly to her paws, suddenly seeming graceful – a total change from the aggressive warrior she had been only a few heartbeats ago.

"What?" Jayfeather grunted. The she-cat tilted her head and purred, "Don't you recognize me, Jaypaw?" He shook his head vigorously, then realization dawned on him as she purred, "I'm your father's sister, Tawnypelt."

_So that's why those eyes looked so familiar._

"Oh."

Jayfeather had no idea what to think – here he was, conversing with an enemy warrior – no, his father's sister – in the middle of a battle that they were supposed to be fighting _against_ each other.

"I'm so very sorry I made you uncomfortable," Tawnypelt meowed sleekly. "I just wanted to tell you, and see if you remembered me." She turned to go, but Jayfeather growled, "I'm not Jaypaw anymore." Tawnypelt raised her head and looked at him coolly. "I'm Jayfeather. I was made a warrior today."

Pride rose in the ShadowClan warrior's eyes, but only for a heartbeat. Then she broke Jayfeather's gaze and slipped through the thinning throng of warriors and out of sight.

"So there! Get away from our apprentices!"

Jayfeather whipped around and saw Cindertail spitting after the big tabby warrior she had been engaged with. "Whew," she sighed. "Thanks for sending that she-cat packing." The pretty young queen was clearly exhausted from her effort, but she still had a spring in her step and a lively spark in her eyes. "Go send the rest of their warriors off," she meowed definitely to Jayfeather, nuzzling him with her nose. The young tabby warrior nodded, and with a flick of his tail bounded off across the camp. As he arrived at the exit, he saw the last of the ShadowClan invaders disappearing up the slope that led in and out of the valley. He noticed vaguely that the warrior happened to be the huge black tom he had fought before Tawnypelt, but instead of dwelling on it he turned away, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Cindertail was already bustling about, tending to the warriors that had collapsed at the medicine cats' den before anybody else. Jayfeather staggered over and joined them, his side aching where the black tom had shredded it. He also felt the pain where Tawnypelt's claws had pierced his shoulder and back. The young tom suddenly felt as if he couldn't take another step, and he found himself, almost involuntarily, flopping down on his side in the entrance to Cindertail's den. A few tail-lengths away, over the backs of other injured warriors, he saw Hollyhock's striped pelt lying motionless. A shock of fear sliced through him, but then he saw his sister stagger to her paws and greet Lionclaw, who had padded over, looking none worse for the wear after the battle. The big golden tom had only a few superficial scratches, but he was walking without trace of injury and looking as strong as ever.

Hollyhock looked over at Jayfeather, and saw him lying flat, his breath hardly caught from his exhilarating triumph. A look of concern fleeted across her face, and she immediately began to pick her way through the downed warriors toward her brother. Lionpaw followed, although without any enthusiasm, and when they reached Jayfeather he hung back, lurking behind Hollyhock.

"Oh, Jayfeather," Hollyhock cried. "You're hurt!"

Jayfeather nodded, but pushed himself up to a sitting position on his haunches. "I see you are, too," he grumbled, noting the paw that his sister held gingerly above the ground. She had a small nick missing from her eartip, and multiple scrapes and scratches as well. Her ear was bleeding profusely, the red liquid running down her cheek and matting her brown, gold, and white stripes, but her eyes still glittered with worry for her brother. "Oh, I'm fine," she meowed dismissively as she touched her tail tip to her Jayfeather's shoulder. He shuddered at her touch, but blinked lovingly at her.

Just then Cindertail came stumbling over. Jayfeather noticed that the effort of the day had caught up with the medicine cat – her eyes were downcast as she moved quickly from one injured warrior to the next. She approached Jayfeather and his siblings with great relief, as they were the last cats she had to take care of. Jayfeather saw her pelt marred with deep, bloody scratches and felt an unexpected pang of worry as he detected a slight limp on a hind paw. "Are you-" he began, but she cut him off before he had even finished. "I'm fine," she growled. "Lie down and I can tend to you." But as he flattened himself to the ground on his good side, he saw her eyes dulled with pain. "Tell you what," he meowed firmly. "When you're done tending to me, Hollyhock, and Lionclaw, I'll go in your den with you and if you tell me what herbs to put on your cuts I'll take care of it." He saw relief sparkle in Cindertail's eyes as she nodded hesitantly. "I guess," she mewed faintly. "Now that Leafpool's joined the elders, it's a lot harder than I thought to keep up with everything," the queen admitted shyly. She tended quickly to Jayfeather, but all the same took care to dab the cobwebs gently on his wounds to staunch the flow of blood that still leaked out of his torn side. She pressed a poultice of soothing herbs on the slashes, then turned to Lionclaw. He shook his head and backed away, muttering, "I'm fine." She shrugged and switched her gaze to Hollyhock, who gratefully stepped forward.

Finally, the pretty medicine cat wrapped up her little packet of herbs and backed away from Hollyhock. "You'll need a couple of poppy seeds, because of your ear," she instructed. Jayfeather interrupted, "I'll take care of that," and once more relief swept over Cindertail's face. "Yes…" she murmured. "Go back to your den," she told Hollyhock and Lionclaw, "And Jayfeather will bring you back whatever you need from me." The two young warriors nodded and set off across the camp with the rest of the injured warriors.

Without a moment's hesitation, Cindertail walked slowly into her den. She passed through the curtain of long grasses that grew from crevices in the rock formation above, sending a ripple through the dried, dead leaves. Her head came back through as she turned around and motioned Jayfeather in after her, and the warrior followed keenly. He had only been in here once before, when he was a young apprentice and had to fetch mouse bile to remove the elders' ticks. That had been when Cindertail's former mentor, Leafpool, had been the medicine cat. Now Leafpool had joined the elders due to her failing hearing.

Jayfeather sucked in a long breath, taking in the wonderful, deep scents of the den. Soothing, herbal smells flooded his senses, suddenly slowing his brain down. He turned to Cindertail, and found her clawing out a small heap of herbs. She motioned to him with her tail, and he padded over to the pretty medicine cat. "What-" he began to ask, but the interrupted him swiftly. "Spit on that," she instructed, settling herself down in her nest, "Then poultice it on here," she motioned to the hind leg she had been favoring a little while ago. "And lastly, pass me four poppy seeds. By rights I'm not supposed to take them, but I need them right now."

Jayfeather followed her instructions to the best of his abilities – he spat quickly on the poultice, then pressed it gently onto her leg, where he discovered a long, deep scratch. When he was done with that, he looked up at her and meowed, "Anything for those claw marks on your side?"

Cindertail shook her head. "No. They're just superficial. I'll be fine with just the poppy seeds."

Jayfeather shrugged, and collected the poppy seeds. He set them close to her muzzle, so she could reach them. "Anything else?" he inquired, but once again Cindertail shook her head. "Nothing at all."

She licked up the poppy seeds, and Jayfeather moved to the exit. Before he crossed through the veil of grasses, he turned one last time to look fleetingly at the medicine cat. She was lying in her nest, paws tucked up underneath her ever so delicately, her eyes closed and her breathing deep.

For a moment Jayfeather was transfixed by her beauty – he found himself regretting that she was a medicine cat, who would never take a mate or have kits...

But the moment passed and he shook his head, gathering the poppy seeds for Hollyhock and hurrying out of the den.

_THESIGHT_

**_Chapter 7 will be up shortly! Thanx for reading, and PLEASE review! I wanna know how this is. :)_**


	8. Allegiances

**A/N: Okay, two things!!!! First, I forgot to put the allegiances up at the start of this story, so here they are, right in the middle! (I think this story will be 7 or 8 more chapters) It's just ThunderClan for now, the rest of the Clans will be up soon. Also, PLEASE review!!!! I have chap 7 and 8 done, but they won't be put up until I get 3 more reviews. So don't forget to do that when you come here.**

**Also, please note that this was done before I started the story, so the apprentices are still 'Paw. They already got their warrior names...I'll put the updated allegiances at the beginning of "The Dream", which will come SOON!!!!!**

**T H U N D E R C L A N**

**L E A D E R:** **Firestar – **ginger tom with a flame-colored pelt

**D E P U T Y:**** Brambleclaw** – dark brown tabby with amber eyes

**MEDICINE CAT:** **Leafpool – **light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
**Apprentice, Cinderpaw**

**W A R R I O R S: **(Toms, and she-cats without kits)

**Sandstorm – **pale ginger she-cat; ThunderClan's senior warrior.

**Cloudtail – **long-haired white tom

**Apprentice, Sparkpaw**

**Thornclaw – **golden-brown tabby tom

**Brightheart – **white she-cat with ginger patches

**Ashfur – **pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes  
**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

**Birchclaw – **light brown tabby she-cat

**Ferncloud – **pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat

**Sorreltail – **tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, amber eyes

**Spiderleg – **long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
**Apprentice, Lionpaw**

**Berryspots – **even-tempered tabby tom with half a tail

**Apprentice, Hollypaw**

**Hazelheart – **pretty light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Mousepelt – **mouse-colored she-cat with white throat, green eyes  
**Apprentice, Jaypaw**

**Molewhisker – **big dark brown tom with emerald eyes

**Honeypelt – **sleek solid fawn she-cat with yellow eyes

**Poppyheart – **ginger she-cat with green eyes

**A P P R E N T I C E S: **(More than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Hollypaw – **beautiful light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Jaypaw – **dark brown tabby tom with extremely long legs

**Lionpaw – **big-shouldered golden tabby tom with green eyes

**Snowpaw – **pretty long-haired white she-cat with ice blue eyes

**Sparkpaw – **fiery orange tabby tom with green eyes; son of Firestar and Sandstorm.

**Q U E E N S:** (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Squirrelflight – **dark ginger she-cat with green eyes, expecting Brambleclaw's second litter of kits.

**Daisy – **long-haired cream she-cat with blue eyes, originally from the horseplace.

**Whiteflower – **white queen with green eyes, mother of Spiderleg's kits

**E L D E R S:** (former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Longtail – **pale tabby tom, blind

**Mousefur – **small, very elderly dusky brown she-cat

**Dustpelt – **dark brown tabby tom


End file.
